Terrifying SKULL shape appears in Hurricane Michael satellite map
A HAUNTING apparition of a skull has been spotted at the heart of Hurricane Michael in satellite images.
The ghostly spectre, captured Yesterday, may well be a prediction of what is to come, with the potentially deadly storm continuing to gather force as it nears Florida.
Having been upgraded to a Category 4 today, residents were warned of deadly flash floods and 140mph winds, in what may be the worst storm ever to hit the state's Panhandle area.
The National Hurricane Centre described it as "extremely dangerous".
Dennis Feltgen, a public affairs officer and meteorologist at the agency, said in a Facebook post: "We are in new territory with now Category 4 Hurricane Michael and its 130 mph sustained winds.
The "monstrous" storm is tipped to make landfall later today, when waves of over 13ft are expected.
More than 2.1 million residents of at least 20 Florida counties were under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
Florida Governor Rick Scott described Michael as the worst "in a century".
He said 19,000 utility workers were on standby to restore services the moment Michael had passed.
"You've heard me say all week how important it is to get the lights back on after the storm."
A foot of rain was predicted for swathes of the Panhandle, so intense flooding was likely.
"We can rebuild you house, but we cannot rebuild you life. Take this seriously, keep your family safe."
He tweeted earlier in the day: "Hurricane Michael will be here TONIGHT. This is your LAST CHANCE to get prepared for this monstrous and deadly storm.
"The state is not taking this storm lightly and neither should any family."
Only three major hurricanes Category 3 or higher have struck the Panhandle since 1950: Eloise in 1975, Opal in 1995 and Dennis in 2005.
The area is a 200-mile stretch Florida lying between Alabama on the north west, Georgia on the north east and the Gulf of Mexico to the south.
Hurricane Michael what we know:
- The storm has intensified to a Category 4 major hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico
- It is expected to make landfall along Florida's northeastern Gulf Coast today
- More than 370,000 people have been told to leave their homes immediately
- Winds have already reached 140mph and are tipped to blow even fiercer
- A Cat 4 or stronger hurricane has never made landfall in the Florida Panhandle
- Dangerous storm surge, damaging winds and flash flooding are now very likely
- Hurricane and storm surge warnings have been issued along the Gulf Coast
- Heavy rain and strong winds will spread inland across parts after landfall
- Tropical storm warnings and watches are posted along the Southeast coast
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Florida, warned: "A potentially catastrophic event is developing. Locations may be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
Senator Bill Nelson said a "wall of water" could cause major destruction along vulnerable areas of the Panhandle.
"Don't think that you can ride this out if you're in a low-lying area," he said on CNN.
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan bluntly advised those residents choosing stay that rescuers won't be able to reach them.
"If you decide to stay in your home and a tree falls on your house or the storm surge catches you and you're now calling for help, there's no one that can respond to help you," he said.
Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith near the vulnerable coast said his deputies had gone door to door in some places urging people to evacuate.
"We have done everything we can as far as getting the word out," he said. "Hopefully more people will leave."
Weather experts sent out similar grim warnings with National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham saying: "If they tell you to leave, you have to leave."
Thousands have been warned to evacuate along Florida's coast, where schools and state offices are to remain shut this week.
Jason McDonald, of Panama City was driving with his wife and two young children, aged five and seven, to North Alabama.
He said: "We don't know if it's going to wipe out our house or not. We want to get them out of the way."
Others have decided to stay put despite the "life-threatening" storm surge because of how much it costs to evacuate.
Aja Kemp said she spent more than $800 (£608) last year when her and family evacuated for Hurricane Irma.
She said: "I just can't bring myself to spend that much money.
"We've got supplies to last us a week. Plenty of water. I made sure we've got clean clothes. We got everything tied down."
One county in Florida cannot open their shelters because they can only withstand a Category 2 hurricane.
Shelters in Wakulla County is unable to provide protection for the residents that have been ordered to leave.
Residents were being taken by van to the neighbouring Leon County.
More than 300 miles of coastline are currently under threat, the National Weather Service has said.
Some regions of the US may see 12in (30cm) of rain, and storm surges of up to 13ft (3.6m).
At least 13 people have already been reported killed in Central America as a result of the massive storm.
Mandatory evacuations are now underway, with 1,250 National Guard soldiers aiding the exodus with more than 4,000 troops on standby.
Residents frantically filled sandbags, boarded up homes and shops and secured boats - as it was revealed the storm could be even worse than first feared.
In the city of Apalachicola, Mayor Van Johnson Sr. said the 2,300 residents were chaotically preparing for what could be a strike unlike any seen there in decades.
Many boarded up homes and lined up to buy gas and groceries before fleeing the town.
About 3.7 million people are under hurricane warnings in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions, along with parts of southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia.
Tropical storm warnings cover 8.5 million people in several states.
After pummelling Florida, Michael is forecast to move northeast and drench the Carolinas - still recovering from the devastation left last month by Hurricane Florence
It is feared the storm - which has already battered Cuba - could spark life-threatening flash floods and terrifying mudslides.
Forecasters say the centre of Michael will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico sometime on Tuesday evening.
One expert has said it could be "one of the worst" hurricanes ever to strike Florida.
Governor Scott called Michael a “monstrous storm” after declaring a state of emergency in 35 counties along the panhandle and Big Bend
Michael was designated by the National Hurricane Center as a Category 1 hurricane Monday as it churned off Cuba’s western tip. Since then it has continued to increase in power.
Governor Scott tweeted: “Let’s all stay safe and watch this storm closely. As we have seen before, it can change direction and impact any part of our state.
“EVERY FAMILY must be prepared. We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life.”
He added: "This storm will be life-threatening and extremely dangerous."
It is expected to unleash coastal storm surges of up to 13 feet along Florida’s Panhandle and dump as much as a foot of rain across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, the National Hurricane Center reported.
Before hitting the US, Tropical Storm Michael brought heavy rain and power outages to parts of the Yucatan Peninsula and Western Cuba.
Michael is the 13th named storm of the 2018 hurricane season, according to hurricane center spokesman Dennis Feltgen.
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